The Sea King
by ExAxL
Summary: Beach days are the best, but after an unknown creature is seen on the beach, they all get shut down. Later at night she sneaks in, but she doesn't find a savage monster, but something.. that needs help.  First of the King Series
1. First Day of Summer at the Beach

**The Sea King**

**Okay, so if you've read my profile you'll see that this summary is slightly different from the one on my profile, but either way, it's the same story(duh)**

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**1. First Day of Summer at the Beach**

Alice ran the brush through her long chestnut locks. Pulling her hair back, she wrapped it into a high pony and pulled on her favorite, baggiest shirt. _Today is beach day! I wonder if the others are already there._

Slipping into her sandals and tossing her shoulder bag over her side, Alice dashed out the door. The sun was shining brightly and the breezes were blowing constantly, making today the perfect day for the beach. Walking along the side of the road, Alice saw a large smear of blue getting closer._ Alright! The ocean's totally brimming today!_

Grabbing her shoulder bag tightly, Alice made a mad dash towards the coast. It was early so there weren't a ton of people there yet. With her feet kicking up sand, Alice ran over to an unfolded blanket. A white haired boy sat there slathering himself with sunscreen. " Hi Peter!" He turned to look at her, his frown changing to a smile." Oh Alice~ I didn't think you were coming!" Alice grinned at him. " Are you crazy? I'd never miss a beach day! Where is everyone, anyway?" Peter pointed out towards the water. " Most of them are out there."

Alice massaged the thick lotion against her skin, rubbing ferociously at her shoulders and knees, kicking off her sandals as she did." Hurry up Peter! You take longer than anyone else I know to put lotion on, especially sunscreen of all things." Peter stood up, his baggy red tanktop blowing against the breeze." I'm ready, jeez. You're quite impatient about these things," he scolded. Alice rolled her eyes and grabbed his arm, pulling him towards the ocean.

The water was cold against her bare feet, grains of sand and shells washing around her ankles. " Eeep! Cold!" Peter laughed at her, untouched by the water's cold touch. But seconds later, the two of them were doused by a ton of water. Alice hid her face right before the impact, and put her arms down to see who had leveled them. Two identical boys, only distinguished by eye color, stood before them." Haha~ We got you that time, Onee-san," they laughed at her, but then were completely dunked under the water by a weight on their heads. The hands let go and the boys reappeared, catching their breath in big gulps." Hey! What was that for?" they glared at their attacker.

A tall man stood before them, his wavy orange locks dripping with water. His deep purple eyes glared at the two, filled with thoughts of dunking them again." I felt like it," he responded. He turned to Alice and Peter, a half smile on his face." Took you long enough," he laughed. Alice made a smiley pouting face (is that even possible?) and reached for a handful and the salty water. She slung her handfuls of it on him, making the soaked twins smile." I got _you_. So now we're even."

They frolicked for hours on the beach, having water fights, sun bathing and telling stories. Other friends had joined them as well; including Ace, who happened to tell the creepiest story of all; Boris, who spent the rest of the day taunting Pierce; Blood, who despite his outward dislike for several of them, basically brought a picnic with him, and like any other good beach day, they all lost miserably to Gray and Nightmare at volleyball. Who would have guessed?

As the sun sank into the ocean horizon, Alice waved goodbye to all of her friends." Alright you guys, tomorrow is another beach day so be here like usual!" she shouted to them. They all responded with the normal " yes" or "fantastic" or "awesome."

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After a hot shower, Alice flopped onto her bed, wearing her favorite night gown. It was a silky baby blue and had no sleeves at all. Awesome! Flipping on the television, Alice surfed all the channels. A news report caught her eye.

**A strange repeated occurrence of peculiar animal sightings has made all authorized personel close any tourist destinations. All the following have been shut down until further notice.**

**Beach-side restaurants,**  
**local seaside clubs,**  
**and all beaches until further notice.**

Alice jumped up, running to her window and pulling open the blinds. In the faint distance, red and blue police lights flashed and flickered in the night. She frowned, her brows forming a v-shape. Picking up her cell phone, Alice hit her first speed dial. " Hello?" a voice answered. " Hey, Elliot. I think we better cancel that beach day tomorrow." Elliot voice held a small bit of concern." Why? Did something happen?"

" Well, I don't really know. Can you get to Channel 9? Something's going on at the beaches." Silence was heard as a T.V echoed in the backround." Man, that bites. Want me to call up everyone else?" he offered. "That'd be great. I'll try to find out more about this beach thing. They said it was some sort of animal or something, and if that's the case, then it might even come into the city," she stated, nervous sensations running up her spine." Well, if anything happens, those news freaks will be the first to know... or die." " Elliot!"

" What? They always bark up the wrong tree and you know it. I'm gonna start calling the others. Dig up whatever you can. Who knows, maybe this might be fun. How many people can say they hunted a savage monster over summer break?" Alice sighed at his enthusiasm, and let him go. Plopping back down on her bed, Alice huddled beneath the covers.

_Is it really some savage monster? Whales and dolphins always get close to the beaches around here, not sharks._

Then Alice was hit with an idea. An urging, constant, ridiculous idea. _Would they notice if I went out there right now?_

Kicking away at her covers, Alice headed to her dresser. She changed into clasped sandals, khaki shorts and a green tanktop. Pulling her shoulder bag back on she.._ wait. where's my bag? Oh no, it's on the beach!_

Alice ran out the door and towards the beach, her chestnut hair flopping against the wind.  
_The area we hang out in is practically secluded, so no one should be there._

_But, what if that animal is there?_

_

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_

**OMG! New Channel 9 is real!**

**So how should this go? I just typed this without thinking it through(not my smartest idea)  
but if you know who the...nevermind, forget I said that.**


	2. Bad Dogs and Purple King Fish

**The Sea King**

**OMG ALMOST 3,000 WORDS IN THIS CHAPTER ALONE! WOOT!**

**Anyway, hilarity ensues in this chapter, at least for me it does. What do you think? Should Alice tell her friends about the new arrival?**

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**2. Bad Dogs and Purple King Fish**

Alice walked along the side of the road, waiting for the sand to touch her feet. She lived only a few minutes from the beach, and that was the best part about being her, or so she said. The blue and red lights flashed, getting closer and closer. Alice dove behind one of the huge boulders that stood by the entrance to the beach. _Man, this place is crawling with people. How will I ever sneak in without getting caught?_

Pretending to be a spy, she spread her arms out against the rock, slowly inching her way inside the beach. _Alright! This place is almost clear!  
_  
That was true to an extent, since most of the people were at the front of the beach. Nobody expected an innocent girl to sneak in at a late hour. Alice glanced around, making sure no people or sniffer dogs came this way. With her runway clear, she dashed through the sand, leaving a sloppy trail behind her. The sounds of people and blaring of lights was getting further away with each step, but Alice wasn't out of danger yet, that much she knew. Hiding behind another rock, Alice looked around._ Clear as crystal._

_Grrrrr.._

A sound came from behind the rock, and Alice's muscules froze on the spot. Constant sniffing came with more growling. Alice huddled against the rock. _If that dog finds me it'll tear me to pieces!_ She was screaming on the inside. Through the blurry night scenery, Alice saw a furry head come closer, it's cold wet nose touching the revealed parts of her feet through her sandals. The dog looked directly at her, a blood curdling glare in it's shiny yellow eyes. Alice lost her breath. The once full pupils of the dog's eyes narrowed down to tiny slits. It came closer, nose to nose with her. It showed a glistening row of knife-like teeth, all jagged and discolored.

It's jaw opened and snapped shut over her arm, clamping onto the skin and tearing it away. Alice gasped. Now somebody would really be mad if they saw her out here being attacked by a dog when nobody was supposed to be out here at all. Alice used her foot to kick the dog off, pulling more of her flesh away with it. She grimaced in pain. Blood was flowing down her arm, leaking from the holes the dog's teeth had punctured.  
_I can't fight this dog, it'll kill me! Oh man, nobody can hear me all the way out here._ As she opened her mouth to scream for help, a sound came from the shoreline next to her.. was someone moaning? Turning her head to face the dog, Alice heard small whimpers coming from it. It turned on it's heels with it's tail between it's legs, running towards the people at the entrance.

Leaving Alice all alone.

The moaning came again, and Alice cringed. _It sounds like a freaking zombie!_ " Uh, is anyone there?"  
More moaning came. Taking a step closer, Alice squinted through the darkness. The only light anywhere near was that of the moon.  
_Is that.. a body?_

It was sprawled out, it's upper body pressed against the sand while it's lower body swayed with the ocean. Alice knelt by the body." Hey, are you alright," she mumbled. _Oh, what a stupid thing to say! Of course he's not alright!_ She mentally smacked herself. Placing her hands on the thing's head, she felt something soft beneath her palms. _Wow, his hair is so soft, just like a kittens'._ She used all her strength to pull his upper half into her arms. It was obviously a guy, but nobody she would have known. Alice pulled him on top of herself and started to drag the thing back to the rock she had been recently attacked at.

Gently, she sat him down on the silky white sand, laying him on his back. As she turned around, all the blood in her body turned cold.

_Is that a.. fish tail?_

It was. From his waist down, a long serpent like body slowly formed into what looked like a mermaid tail. _Nobody else can find out about this._

_If those news hounds see him, who knows what they'll say, the media will tell everyone with ears about a fishman that really exists!_

Alice propped him against the rock. As she pulled her hand away, another hand snatched up her wrist. Looking up at her were a pair of sapphire eyes that would make even the brightest of oceans or jewels jealous. Alice used every power on earth to keep herself from screaming.

" Who are you?" a deep, masculine voice asked her. Those ocean blue eyes continued to stare at her, swirling with mixed emotions. " I said, who are you?" the voice asked again. " My name is Alice. Alice Liddell," she replied. " Alice, I don't know what you're doing, but I assure you that I don't belong on a beach with news reporters. Did you take me out of the ocean?"

Everthing was happening so fast Alice could barely concentrate." Uh yes- I mean no! Well, you were unconcious and-and," she could barely talk. " And what?"

Alice fell on her knees." And.. I don't know. You just looked like you needed help, that's all." She didn't know what to say, especially to a fishman of all things. Even though the only light they had was coming from the moon, Alice knew where he was because of his eyes. They were almost glowing, and the scales on his serpent tail were glittering under the moon.

Alice, however, forgot about that when her arm was flooded with a searing burn. Blood was drying down her arm as a more painful burning came. The inhuman man noticed her pained expression, raising his nose to the air." That foul scent wouldn't be blood, would it?" he questioned. In the dark, Alice shook her head, holding out her arm for him to see. His cold fingers wrapped around her arm, numbing the cuts and burning." How did this happen?" he asked, his voice holding a smooth flawless tone. Alice shook at the thought of the dog, or even worse, the dog coming back.

" Well, when I was going to help you, a dog came out and attacked me. He might have hurt you since you were unconcious so I..." she , followed by a pounding headache made her cut the sentence short." So you tried to help me?" he responded. She nodded, hoping to have gained at least an inch of trust." That was a foolish thing to do, you know. That dog may have killed you, but I'm sure you are aware of that." He pressed lightly against her arm, dullness following the cold numb feeling." You were already hurt and it wouldn't have helped if the dog attacked you and made it worse.. why were you unconcious anyway?" she questioned. He let go of her arm." That isn't your concern."

Alice frowned, standing up and brushing off the sand from her knees." Okay, I don't know who you think you are, but I came down here to help you, so uh, yeah that does make it my concern. And since you haven't said one nice thing to me yet I still have a lot of work to do. So just loosen up and hang on," with her anger bubbling up inside, Alice used all her strength to grab his arms and pull him over her shoulders. His fish tail flopped around wildly, almost pushing her legs out from under her." What do you think your doing?" he said disgustedly, his long fingers snatching handfuls of hair to hold on." I'm taking you to my house. There's a lot we need to talk about." His tail smacked her legs again." No, there is nothing we need to talk about, now put me down this instant!" Even though she was going against his will, he hadn't entirely lost his composure yet.

"I'll put you down once we get to my house. I have a gigantic pool you can stay in until I sort things out," she said brightly. " I'm not worried about accomodations. It's the fact that it's _you_ that worries me," he said bluntly.

" Oh lighten up, it'll be fun. And I have some friends who can help you too, so we're in good shape."

All that she heard were complaints and insults on the way home. It wasn't easy sneaking back out with a 500 pound fish man on your back, or at least that's what it felt like. And don't even think what going uphill was like. But either way, Alice found her way back, woozy from the loss of blood and carrying the fat fish on her back.

The good thing about summer was that Alice's parent's were never home. Her father was a reknown dealer/ salesman who traveled all around the world, and her mother was a lawyer and a scientist who traveled to globe with her aquaintances looking for new animals, medicines, cases, etc..

So that left her alone as usual. And that was how she liked it. Entering her doorway, Alice sat the merman down on the couch, falling on the floor from exhaustion." I told you not to do this, but you did anyway and now look at yourself," he sat there looking like royalty while he spoke. Now that they were in the light, Alice could see what this merman really looked like. And he was far from savage and unruly.

His bangs and hair were a deep navy, and stopped halfway down his back. Some draped on his shoulders. And what made Alice giggle were the fins on his head. She guessed they served as ears. A see through fin wrapped around his waist like a skirt in a deep purple-pink, and from there down was the tail. It was a gorgeous purple, and reflected the light from the room. The fins at the end were long and curling at the ends, still see through like the one around his waist. Same color too. A circlet touched his head, made from tiny pearls and a lovely blue stone in the middle of his forehead.

He looked like a king. Some royal breed or another." Why are you staring at me?" he asked, glaring at her. This snapped her out of her trance and made her stand up." Oh, no reason. I was just thinking that you look.. kind of like a king or something," she replied, hoping her comment wouldn't offend him." I'm not "something," that much I promise you," he smirked. Alice's eyes widened." So you are a king?"  
He turned away from her, still smirking." In sorts. I am called King of the Sea by many, but this isn't entirely false. There is an underwater palace, and more underwater creatures than just myself, but I come from a royal family of healers. We were known as the Healers of the Ocean for a long time until they finally decided to give that role up as a whole and let one single person have it," he spoke softly." And they gave it to you?" He nodded.

Alice's mind explored the wild possibility of there being a place like Atlantis, filled with sea animals and other merpeople. She glanced back at him." Hey, do you have exceptions?" He looked at her, confused." Like what?"

She giggled." Like, are you required to live in salt water, for instance." He shook his head. " No, I am not. In our palace, cold water is more rejuvenating for the body, but warm or even hot water will work just fine."

_Alright, this will work out perfectly!_

"Why do you need to know?" he asked. She grinned at him." Because, for one," she held one finger up," I need to know what kind of water you require when I fill up the pool tomorrow, and two," she added a second finger," I need to know for the shower." His face turned puzzled.  
" Shower?"

" Yeah. You're too big for the bath tub, so the shower will work just fine. But you'll have to wait until it fills up!" she said gleefuly. After she ran off to get the shower running, the Sea King stretched out on the couch, his tail hanging off the side.

_This human doesn't live too badly. But either way, few humans can be trusted. I wonder if she's one of them._  
He glanced around, taking in the sights of Alice's beautiful house. _It feels like home, but it'll never be home,_ he reminded himself. Alice came back, a smile on her face."Our shower is really big, so it might take a while for it to fill up," she inquired.

She went to the kitchen, which was connected to the living room, and pulled open a drawer filled with gauze. After turning on the faucet and cleaning the cuts up she wrapped the thick gauze around her arm and clipped it into place. While watching her actions, the merman huffed to himself." You know I could have healed that for you," he said out of nowhere." I know, but you never offered," she countered unknowingly. He glared at her. "I shouldn't have to. I've told you enough to know that you could have asked," he snapped. She looked at him, feeling like she had angered him." But isn't it rude to ask for favors when you haven't done anything for the other person?" she tilted her head to the side.

His eyes widened at her." You think you haven't done anything for me? If you want to think that, then be my guest."

After she had finished wrapping her arm up, she sat on the floor across from the couch." Hey, why did you tell me all that stuff, you know, about where you came from and there really are others like you? Why would you tell something like that to me?"

He turned away from her again." Sometimes, it's easier to pour your heart out to a stranger. And besides, even if you do have an abnoxious, cheerful personality, you give off the sense of being trustworthy, so why not?" Alice smiled at him.

"I told you my name, so what's yours?" He glanced at her." What?"

" What's your name? Surely they call you something other than the King of the Sea, right?"

"...It's Julius. Julius Monrey," he answered plainly.

" It's nice to meet you, Julius Monrey!" Alice yelled joyfully.

Holding out his hand, she took it in a firm grasp." Likewise, Alice Liddell."

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**Haha! We finally meet the Sea King! This was one long chapter, but I got it done in ONE HOUR!**

***happy dance***


	3. You have Goldfish, I have Royalty

**The Sea King**

**Hello, my friends! I have to start off by apologizing for being lazy, and yes, it came back and bit me in the butt. And it hurt, too.**

**I can't say this story is very popular, apparently so people are creeped out by the thought of Julius as a fish. Well that's what you get if you read a story like mine, sad but true.**

**And I finally found the type of ears I wanted him to have. These ears actually come from Pet Shop of Horrors manga and anime. Watch the episode "Delicious" and you'll see the ears I'm talking about. Anyway, now that I've become _obsessed _with having characters doing disclaimers, expect that from now on! Take it away, Peter!**

**Peter: Lover-chan in no way owns us as characters.**

**Ace: Yeah, cause if she did she wouldn't be so poor. Haha!**

**... :(**

**

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3. You have Goldfish. I have Royalty. Get Over It.**

The rest of the night had been a real adventure. The shower was finally filled halfway and now Alice had the big job of carrying Julius to the bathroom. She crouched on the floor and let Julius pull himself onto her back. Getting up, Alice wobbled down the hall, balancing herself with Julius's long dragging tail. She opened the door and climbed up the black stepstool beside the shower. Naturally, she couldn't use the door or a flash flood would fill the house.

" Ready?" she asked, excitement peaking through her voice. He let out a sigh of annoyance, and Alice took that as her cue. She twisted around and unclasped her hands, letting him fall off her back. A thick tail slapped the water, slinging it against the walls as the man resurfaced to glare at her." You couldn't have been gentle, could you?" he chided, glaring at her with sapphire eyes. Alice grinned from ear to ear and laughed at him. "Whether you're a king or not, you'll have to learn to live like me," she said, picking up a handful of coarse salt," and play rough. You'll get used to it."

She dumped the handful of salt over the side and watched it fade into the water. Somehow, watching that salt mix with the water made her look back at the last few hours of her life, and now that she backed up against the wall, she almost wet herself laughing. It was like a fairytale, a shower that touched the ceiling filled with water and a mer-creature inside.

_Whoever said life is full of surprises should be as happy as a clam._

" You're staring at me again," he snapped, glaring at her fiercely. Alice stuck her tongue out playfully." Well, I'm sure if you saw someone as pretty as yourself you would stare too," she laughed as he turned a tomato red. As Alice placed her hand on the door, she looked at him one last time." I'm going to talk to some friends about your little problem, so we should have a solution in a few days. And don't worry, you can trust these guys cause they're just like me!"

She bounded from the bathroom, leaving the door slightly cracked. Julius ran a hand through his silky purple hair. _If those boys are just like her, I'm screwed._

Alice opened her cell again, clicking the first speed dial. Putting the cell phone next to her ear, Alice flopped down on the bed. Kicking her legs back and forth, she turned down the volume on the television as a voice picked up." Hello?"

" Hi Elliot. It's me again."

" Oh, hey Alice. Did you learn anything about the beaches?"

Alice rubbed the back of her head, a goofy grin on her face." Elliot, do you think you can come over to my place? If you do, you'll see what I've found out about the beaches. I mean, _literally,_ you'll see."

After a moment of silence, Elliot sighed heavily." The only way I can come is if you let those bratty twins come too. Blood went out with his family to some adult only thing and left me to babysit," Elliot sighed again, obviously mad that Blood had made such an inconsiderate move.

" Elliot, you know I don't mind if the twins come. Speaking of which, if it's no trouble, do you think you could pick up Peter and Ace? They live down the road from you, don't they?"

" Oh, yeah, sure, why n-WHAT?"

After a little debate over who was a better choice to pick up, it seemed that both Peter and Ace were annoying to no ends, to Elliot would pick them both up. Alice pulled on a baby blue sundress and went back to the bathroom, but unlocked the door in case her visitors barged in on their own.

It was the same as when she had left. Julius was floating there, his toned human half perched on the railing while his fishy body swished below the water." Are more.. humans.. coming to your home?"

Alice pulled the stool away, sitting it by the doorway and propping herself on the lowest step." Why are you so upset? They're coming to help you. Sure, there's a few of them you probably won't like, but either way, you're gonna be home before you know it," she said, taking in a deep breath. His tail swished heavily beneath the water, churning the surface around him." Some humans are not worth trusting, very few in fact."

Alice's eyes grew sad." You trust me, don't you?" At this question, Julius's long fish finned ears lowered as his eyes shut tightly." I'm making it a point to have nothing against you, nor have anything _for_ you. Sentimental values aren't worth having if you just have to break them later," he murmured. Alice's eyes dropped even further." Yeah, I guess that makes sense."

***Beep, Beep***

Alice jerked around." I didn't think they'd be here so soon! Elliot must really want to get outta that car." Jumping up, Alice ran to the front door, her baby blue dress fluttering behind her. Gripping the handle she twisted the door open only to see a sleek silver Porsche parked in her driveway. Out of all the friends she had, Alice was the only one who didn't have a driver's license, and Elliot may have had the nicest car out of her group of friends. _That car is so freakin' gorgeous._

The doors of the Porsche opened and Elliot stepped out of the driver's side. It was hard to see him, his outfit being a black tanktop and black leather jacket with fitting jeans and black boots. The knees were torn out of the jeans, kind of like hers. In their little group of friends, you had to have a rip somewhere in your outfit. Elliot and Blood prefered the knees while Peter and Ace like the thighs more.

The group of four followed in a close line making their way to Alice's door." No offense, but it's _1:00 in the morning._ I really hope whatever you have is worth it," Elliot sighed, ruffling her hair. She pushed his hand away and smiled." Trust me, it's worth it."

She led them down the hallway towards the bathroom, a nervous sensation tingling the flesh of her back. She put her hand on the smooth wooden door and slowly pushed it open, causing a creaking sound to ring through the room. That first look inside the bathroom was all it took for everyone but Alice to drop to the floor with jelly filled legs.

" Alice, what the hell is that!" Elliot cried. He had read plenty of stories on things like this, he was in fact a big Spiderwick fan, but nothing like this. Peter was thinking the exact same thing while Ace's mouth had dropped in awe.

Alice had moved away from the starstruck group and had placed the stepstool beside the shower and was standing on the top step. She poked through the water with her fingers, creating ripples in the surface." See. I told ya it was worth it, didn't I?" she snickered. None of them said anything, they were to speechless to utter a word.

_Hey, wait a second, when I left the shower was crystal clear. Why does the water look so murky now?_

Even though the water was murky, Julius wasn't hard to miss. The finned part of his tail was hanging over the side while his head rested on the tops of his hands." These are the people who are supposed to help me? I doubt that will ever happen if they have tendencies to sit on the floor."

Getting the feeling in his legs back, Ace stood up and hobbled over to Alice." Holy crap! The pet store that sold you this guy is amazing. You'll have to take us sometime!" he cheered." What's it's name anyway?"

Before Alice said anything, Julius's thick tail slapped against the side of the marble walls." I will have you know that I am not a thing. I am a male species of advanced humanized fish, and I am not an it, either. My name is Julius Monrey, and you'd be better off to remember that," the Sea King glared angrily at the red hoodie wearing human. This was why he despised humans. They were always such ingrates. So rude, so unappreciative for anything they had handed to them.

" Haha~ He can talk too! You sure know how to pick out a good lookin' fish!"

Julius cringed at the red cloaked boy, annoyed at his stupidity." Actually Ace, Julius was on the beach when I found him. Eventually I was able to get him here, so that's why I called you guys."

Peter inched closer, the itch of wanting to grab Alice away from the fishman growing with every second." So, darling, what would you like us to do?" he asked.

" Well, I need help sneaking him back down to the beach. I can't do it by myself because someone would see, so will you guys help?"

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**Haha~ The King was called pretty~ And now we see that Alice has a love for Porsches, just like I do.**

**Oh Elliot, you wouldn't happen to drive a Porsche because it's Alice's favorite car, would you? 8D**


	4. Spoiled, Rotten Fish

**The Sea King**

**Okay, so Alice's Grandma comes around, just not in this chapter. Geez, can't somebody be a total lazy butt once in a while? Like I need any more free time ;P  
So at the moment I don't have much to say towards the story. It gets really slow at the beginning, but things are really about to get spiced up in upcoming chapters, so if you like this story then stick around for them :)**

**NOW READ!**

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**4. Spoiled, Rotten Fish**

The night wasn't exactly young, but energy seemed vivid in the Liddell household. After a huge amount of debating, Alice's friends would be sleeping over and devising a plan for Julius's slow return to the ocean. Once morning came around, they would move him to the pool, but until then, this pushy fish's demands were expected to be met. Though some weren't as easy as others to be covinced as much.

While all her friends crowded around the tv to compete in a Wheel of Fortune marathon, Alice had slunk back to the bathroom to get one last look at her odd visitor. He was completely submerged, swirling around in a circle in her oversized shower. Inching closer, she tapped on the glass, gaining his attention. Julius pointed his icy glare at her, but it didn't bother her as she pointed up to the sky. He broke the surface and poked his upper body out of the water, looking down at her. " Yes?"

In the time he took to resurface, Alice had taken a brush to her hair. As she dragged the brush through her long hair, she looked back at him." We're going to move you to the pool tomorrow, so you'd better be up pretty early. And remember, these people are here to help you," she added. He shook his head." If you had left me on the beach to begin with, I wouldn't need help. The only reason I'm still here is because you want a new pet," he grumbled, obviously mad at being in human hands. Putting the brush back on her sink, Alice sighed.

" Is that really what you think?"

He didn't say anything, and that was the last straw. Alice had put up with his comments for the last time.

" Look here, you rotten fish! The reason you're here is because I'm _trying_ to help you, not because I want a pet! I started helping you and I'm_ not_ stopping until I know when the right time is, so you can just get over it." He glared at her and opened his mouth to say something, but she stopped him." And another thing! If you think someone as royal as yourself has command over this place then think again. We're here to get you back home, not slave away at your little requests!"

" Maybe you were right. Maybe I should have just left you lying on the cold beach. Everything I do just isn't good enough for you is it? Everyone's work is always greener than mine, right? Well don't worry, we'll have you back in the sea sometime soon, and," she stopped," and you'll never hear from us again!" She spun on her heels and snapped the door open, slamming it shut behind her and leaving an awed Julius behind.

Instead of rage, a slow smile spread over his mouth.

_She screamed at me. She actually screamed at me._

_..._

Alice sat on the edge of her green covered bed, looking at the floor. That's exactly what he said when he left me.

She sat on her bed, recalling the memories of her first and last boyfriend. He said she looked so sad before they had been together, and he asked her out as nothing more than a pity date. She had said after that, she would never let herself fall to another man. But that had nothing to do with this. Ever since then, it seemed like anything she didn't was never good enough, at least to her it wasn't. Other people were astonished at the determination that spawned whenever she put her mind to something.

She snapped back together when a faint knock came from the door. The door slide open and a worried looking Elliot stood in the doorway." Hey Alice, you feeling ok? You don't look so hot," he said, coming next to her and putting a hand on her forehead. She leaned away." I'm fine, just a little tired. Today was pretty interesting, huh? First an amazing day at the beach, and then an amazing encounter with a mythical creature."

" I don't know if you'd call that thing amazing. He looks like nothing more than trouble to me. I just wish you'd get him out of here faster than what's happening," Elliot sighed.

Alice knew Elliot was right. Julius was some sort of King who was meant to be beneath the water, not above it. And the sooner she got that through her thick skull the sooner she could get him out of the house.

" Elliot, do you think you can get your Dad's old truck over here tomorrow? I think we just need to get him back to the ocean with any delays."  
His eyes seemed soft as Elliot smiled at her, happy she was getting rid of this potential disaster of a guest." No problem."

...

It was well over 4:00 in the morning, and all of Alice's guests were scattered around the living room floor in a deep sleep. But Alice just could't sleep. That fight from earlier rang loud and clear through her head, and even though she shouldn't be the one apologizing, Alice wasn't the kind of girl who could scream at someone and feel fine afterwards. She crept into the bathroom and flipped on the light. Squinting through the water was impossible because it was murkier than ever, a deep greenish-blue opaque color filtering in the water. She couldn't see anything through what looked like unclean water, but there was what looked like a serpent's tail floating in the farthest corner.

_He must be asleep. I guess I'll just wake him up in the morning._

Turning out the light and going back to the living room, Alice laid out on the long couch. Long may have been an understatement since the couch could fit 4 people, all laying on their sides.  
She was exhausted, and it only took a few minutes for her to be completely out of it, until she felt a soft, thin blanket cover her body. She glanced up.

" Ace?"

" What's up, sleepy head?" he asked, smoothing out the blanket.

" .. Thanks."

He gave his trademark grin to her, only to lay against a red sleeping bag sprawled out on the floor with with Elliot, while Peter was on the couch as the far end.

_I don't need to be friends with that spoiled rotten fish. I have these guys, and everyone else, too. I don't need him. Tomorrow I'll leave him at the ocean, and he'll never hear from me again._

_That's what I'll do._

* * *

**Yaaaay! They totally hate each other now! I'm glad this chapter is over, because now I can really start breaking the ice bewtween the characters. My retarded friend xxJuBoxx has further requested events to happen in this story AND God of Roses, which will probably be the funniest and most charming of all The King Series. So keep an eye out, my little lunatics!**


	5. Noble, but Scared!

**The Sea King**

**Yay! Something is actually happening! A little twist is coming in this chapter, and for those who are waiting for Heartland High, some wild things are about to happen because I've been inspired by watching Peach Girl! If you've ever seen Peach Girl you'll know it's probably the most drama filled anime and manga ever! Anyway, I like this chapter since it introduces a small part of the plot. And now you will read!... DO IT!**

* * *

**5. Noble to His People, but Scared of Little Girls!**

Sunlight weaved it's way through the aqua curtains, inching up to Alice's eyes. She stuffed her face against the couch. Today was a big day, meaning that she was giving a missing gift back to the ocean. Well, maybe gift wasn't the right word.

Lazily leaning up, Alice looked around only to see that all her friends were gone. But in their absence, a small card was on the coffee table in front of the couch. She picked it up with her delicate fingers and flipped it open.

_Sorry for running out so early, but we all thought we overstayed our welcome. I'll have Dad's truck over around 1:00, so hopefully you'll be ready. Happy about getting that thing out of your house, that goes for all of us. He's nothing but a problem._

_Ace, Elliot, Peter_

Glancing at the digital clock on her kitchen counter, Alice sighed. It was a little after 10:00, but that was put in the back of her mind when someone knocked on the door. Trugding over, she opened the door only to see an old lady standing there smiling. " G.. Grandma! Why are you here! ?" she stuttered. Seriously, why _was_ her Grandma here?

"Oh, c'mon now, child, can't an old woman visit her grandchild every now and then?" the old woman laughed. Alice was somewhat puzzled at her Granny. The old lady was certainly enthusiastic, and moved around particularly well for someone her age. " Well, er.. come in, Grandma," Alice said, a nervous sensation running up her spine. She hadn't been expecting anyone, especially one of the wisest people in her family. Letting the old woman pass, Alice shut the door quickly, following the perky woman.

" Hope you don't mind if I freshen up a bit, it's not exactly a quick travel to your house, all the way out here." The woman inched towards the bathroom only to have Alice run in front of the door, flailing her arms. " YOU CAN'T! Er, I mean, it's broken! Yeah, it's broken! The plumbing's out of wack, but you can use the one down the hall!" She pointed down the hall to the corner, another bathroom sitting at the end.

" All right deary, if you say so." Heading down the hall, Alice waited until she saw the door shut, then bounded into the bathroom and ran to the shower. She pounded against the glass, hoping to wake the sleeping fish. Water splashed on the other side as a finned face looked down at her. He just stared, expressionless.

" Julius, we have to get you out of here now! My Grandma's here!" she cried.

" Can't you just tell her about me and be done with it?"

" No! My Grandma is one of the nicest people in the world, but Heaven forbides her keeping a secret! It's impossible!"

At that, Julius's deep navy eyes widened." So what do I do now?"

Alice put a hand under her chin, thinking as fast as she could." I thought we were getting you out today, so I didn't bother filling the pool last night," she sighed. As Julius was getting ready to submerge, he stopped to look back at her. " I was supposed to leave today? I was sure I'd be here much longer than just one night," he said more to himself than to anyone. Alice just shrugged." You said yourself that you wanted to be back in the sea more than anything, so that's what we're doing."

As Alice was about to turn around and plot to keep her Grandmother busy, Julius watched her from over his shoulder. Why couldn't he talk to her normally? He had never had any problems talking to anyone else in his underwater domain, so why was she any different? The previous fight between the two was his only answer, and he knew very well why he couldn't talk to her anymore.

Before she left, Julius's sharp, fish-finned ears caught something about a pool, so he guessed she was doing something with her pool in the back. But it didn't matter, because in a few hours he would be gone from this human home, back in his inhuman realm.

...

Alice was frantic. Her Grandma had left the bathroom and was exploring around the house. As she passed the coffee table, Alice came from behind and swiped the note from the table. Time had passed quickly while she had been enrvous, and it wasn't too long before a huge F 1-50 pulled into her driveway. " One of my friends is here! Be right back!" she said, jolting out the door towards the big truck. Elliot hopped out of the driver's seat and tapped the sidedoors." Pretty nice, huh? We'll have him outta here in no time," he smiled.

" That's the understatement of the year! Grandma's here, and you know we can't sneak him past her!" Alice cried, her nerves completely shot from the stress." Doesn't she have friends here?"  
" Yeah, but one moved all the way across the city and two are on vacations."

Elliot gave a low whistle." That's a problem. So what do you think we should do?"

" I don't know. I guess I'll just stick with what I was gonna do; fill up the pool and toss him in at the right time."

As Elliot was about to give a strong opinion against that idea, a streak of white slit through the sky, a loud clap of thunder following." What the hell? There wasn't a call for thunderstorms today," Elliot glared up at the sky. Clutching her shoulders from the sprinkling rain, Alice smiled at him sadly. " I'm sorry you had to bring the truck out for nothing," she apologized. He ruffled her hair quickly before hopping back into the driver's seat." No problem. I'll come back later if the weather isn't so bad, but if that doesn't work then do your thing with the pool," he yelled over the wind, before pulling out of the driveway.

Running towards the door, Alice covered herself from the hard rain. If Grandma went in that bathroom I'll hang her by her dentures! Slamming the door behind her, Alice looked around for the old woman. Nowhere. Where would she go? Looking around the corner Alice saw one of the bedroom doors slightly cracked. Peeking in, she saw her Grandma buried under the wool blankets, her wrinkled face soft with sleep. _When you're old you can sleep at any hour, I guess._

Gently shutting the door, she skipped back to the bathroom only to see Julius arching his upper half to the ceiling. His eyes were closed softly, but his brows curved as though he were in pain. Moving closer, Alice gently tapped the glass with her index finger. He peered down at her, still looking pained.  
" Hey, what's wrong! ? Why do you look like your hurting! ?"

He put his hands together, bringing them close to his chest." The storm is causing destruction beneath the ocean surface. It's hurting my people, and in turn, hurts me as well," he said slowly.  
Alice looked through the murky water as best she could. _So it's like a blood pact. He takes responsibility for his people by connecting himself to them. Whenever he's gone and something bad happens, he'll always know._

" I'm sure the storm won't last too long."

He only cringed even more, arching his back." I-Is there anything I can do?" she stuttered. She hated this creature, but seeing him in agonizing pain made her feel horrible." No, it'll pass," he muttered, wincing now and then. " What's happening down there?"

" Severe storms make the seas unstable and rough. Intense currents from the surface flow to the ocean floor where we live and stir everything around. It's a disaster."

Alice couldn't think of anything to say, and he didn't want help so what more could she do? She looked at his pained frame one last time before leaving the bathroom, finding a cozy sitting place on the couch. In all the hustle, she had forgotten to look at her cell phone, which was probably broken with all the texts.  
_God, they just don't have enough to say, do they?_

Sliding her cell open, Alice discovered 17 new messages. Right as she was opening her first, a new message popped onto the screen. Deciding to open that one instead, Alice saw a message from Peter.

_Alice, please be careful not to go outside any time soon. People are calling for severe thunderstorms, and some power lines are down in the northern part of the city. Please stay safe, and don't let that abominable creature touch you!_  
_Yours Forever, Peter White._

Alice sighed. She and her friends lived in the southern end of the city, so those power poles were nothing for her to worry about. She texted Peter back, saying thank you and telling him to stay safe too. Seeing as how she was back to square one in getting Julius home, she stood up and went to check on him again. He was leaning over the side of the railing, breathing heavily.

" It's not any better, is it?"

" It won't be for a long time," he winced between words. It was sad to think that only more storms would be coming, putting him through more pain." Are you sure there's nothing I can do?" she asked again. " I'm sure. When is that older woman leaving?"

She shrugged." I dunno. Grandma was always unpredictable, so she may be gone by tomorrow for all I know. Then again, she may be here for a week!" Alice felt scatterbrained for a moment, but suddenly an idea hit. " I know what to do!"

" I can call Marsie!"

" Marsie?"

" Yeah! She was one of Grandma's close friends when they were in highschool! And she's totally rich, which makes it even better!"

Alice sprang from the room towards the housephone.

_I am a genius!_ She thought, standing in dramatic pose.

Dialing the number, Alice waited for an answer.

" Hello?" an old, worn out voice asked.

" Hey, Ms. Marsie, it's Alice."


	6. Stormy Development

**The Sea King**

**If you pay attention to this chapter you'll notice more of the plot and development between characters :) Enjoy! R&R**

* * *

**6. Stormy Development**

Alice arranged everything. Her grandmother would spend the rest of her stay at Marsie's house, who was an old aquaintence. While waiting for Marsie to come pick her grandma up, Alice bit her lip. So much anxiety swirled inside her, along with questions that needed answers.

_Okay, since the storm is still going strong it'll help fill up the pool. Oh, I still have to get that running, too. Julius can't stay here any longer... he doesn't belong here._ Alice felt saddened at this thought. Though she and Julius weren't on the best of terms, something still made her feel sad about saying goodbye.

An engine roared outside her house, snapping Alice out of her thoughts. _KNOCK, KNOCK._ She hurried to the door, only to be greeted by a man in uniform holding an umbrella."Hello, Miss Liddell, I'm from Ms. Ocala's estate. I was told to come pick up your grandmother. Is she in?" Alice nodded her head."Yes, I'll go get her. Please, come in."  
"Grandma!" Alice yelled, racing to the other side of the house. Julius, with his sensitive fish fin ears, heard her yelling.

"What on Earth is she yelling about?," he wondered aloud.  
~*~*~*~*

With her grandma finally gone, Alice breathed a sigh of relief. She headed to the bathroom, only to find Julius submerged and swirling beneath the water. He seemed to be swimming back and forth, making little waves churn on the surface. Tapping on the glass, Alice waited for him to appear. He did so, but at a much slower rate. Alice felt something different. It was Julius, he looked different. Instead of his usually beautiful skin, he seemed pale, as though he were sick. His eyes were no longer a breath taking navy, but a dull steely-blue color. His fishy ears seemed to droop while bags formed beneath his eyes. Alice gasped. She pulled the stool against the shower and climbed up so she was eye-level with him.  
"You look so sick! What happened to you?" she was worried.

He gave a low moan."It's this..water. It.. it isn't clean," he croaked. Even his voice was partly diminished. Alice covered her mouth, horrified."God, this is all my fault. D-Don't worry, I'll fill the pool up immediately and get you clean water!" She jumped from the stool and grabbed her raincoat from the hanger. Julius's eyes widened. "Are you mad? Don't go out in this monsoon!" he screeched, but the crackling in his voice cut him off. He listened as the door slammed shut. _She's out in this storm.. because of me._

Wind and rain pelted Alice as the hood of her raincoat flattened against her head. Looking at the ground, Alice saw bits of hail bounce off the pavement. She ran to the pool, hooking up the pump to the pool. Slowly, water trickled into the enormous pool. _Oh, at this rate he'll be in nasty water for at least another day!_ Alice stomped angrily. As she turned to go back to the house, she remembered something.

_It's this water. It isn't clean._

Alice ran back to the pump and pulled out a second tube, pulling it over and placing a new machine next to the side of the pool. It was a water filter, something she hadn't really remembered until now. _Whew, what a life saver! _With the pool filling up and the filter processing the water, Alice ran back inside. She had her fill of being thumped in the head by hail, and now it was impossible to see five feet in front of her. Feeling around for the door knob, Alice pushed her way inside. Tossing her icy, drenched coat into a basket, she ran to the bathroom. Julius was flopped over the rail, kind of like the position someone takes when they throw up. He was sickly.

Standing back up on the stool, Alice pressed her hand against his forehead. She felt him cringe beneath her palm."You have such a fever... Is there anything I can do?" He lifted his head the best he could."No...I'll be f-fine.." Alice didn't buy that for a second. She went to the kitchen and grabbed a dish towel. After putting several cubes of ice on the towel, she returned to him. Stepping back on the stool, she wrapped to towel around his forehead, holding it in place.

Merfolk are a proud race. Pride often gets in the way of judgement. Julius was no exception. He didn't want to say how much he needed the ice. He _really_ didn't want to say that he was actually grateful to Alice for bringing such cool relief. But what absolutely killed him, nearly destroyed him, was the fact that it was a human that was giving him such relief and comfort. He grinded his teeth together, which only made Alice worry even more."Is the ice helping?" she asked nervously. He nodded."Julius, why are you so sick looking? Is it because of the water? Or is it the storm and the water together?"

Julius said nothing. Just enjoyed the ice. Looking closely, Alice saw water trickle from the towel down his cheeks and chin. It almost looked like he was crying, and it tore her heart out."Well, since there's nothing else I can do and it's getting pretty late, I guess I'll see you in the morning." Taking the cold cloth away, Alice went to the door. The instant the cloth was gone, Julius felt like a volcano was surging through him."Wait!" he cried.

Alice jumped in surprise. She turned around, looking at him in a confused manner."Yes..?" Julius swallowed hard."Do you think... Do you think you could bring more ice?" he asked. His face was bright red. Not from the fever, but from shear embarrassment. Alice smiled."Of course!" Alice spent a majority of the night pressing ice against him, trying to cool the fever. It was working, at least somewhat. It was well around 2:00 AM and Alice couldn't keep her eyes open any longer."Here Julius," she propped the bucket full of ice she had been using on a hanger next to the shower," you can do as much as you want. I have to go to sleep so I'll see you in the morning.. or later, considering it is morning."

Turning on her heels, she walked to the door."I.. I liked.. having you here," Julius called. Alice glanced back."...Thank you..."  
~*~*~*

After peering out from the living room window to look at the pool, Alice headed to the bathroom. Julius was still looking as sickly as ever, slouching over the rail. He looked like he was suffering a severe hangover. She tapped on the glass, getting his attention."Go to the very bottom of the shower. There's a little a plug down there that needs to be pullled. It'll drain all the water." Sluggishly, Julius did as told. The water drained from the shower. Alice opened the shower door only to find Julius leaning against the wall. Alice had no idea that dirty water could affect someone so severely. The last time she saw his fish tail, the deep purple scales glittered beneath the light. Now they were nothing but a dull purple, no shine whatesoever. Walking in she put her arm around his waist and tried to piggy-back him the best she could. His skin was hot. _Very_ hot. Alice easily felt it through her shirt. Dragging him out to the back, Alice dropped to her knees."Here ya go." Julius dropped off her back and crawled with the little strength he had left to the pool, where he slithered in like a snake.

It had been a good 10 minutes that Julius had submerged himself. Alice was growing worried. Suddenly, bubbles started to pop on the surface while water churned and swirled.

_SPLASH_

Julius sprang from the water like a dolphin. He swam towards Alice, leaning out of the water to rest his arms on the concrete surface. She smiled."You look so much better!" she exclaimed. Julius _did_ look better. His hair, eyes, and scales had retained their beautiful glow and his skin was a pretty shade of tan. His fish ears shined with a pale translucent touch, not the murky look they had before.  
"Do you feel better?" He nodded."Exquisite... thanks to you. I owe you much..."

"It's nothing.." Alice stood up and clapped her hands." All right! It's time to swim!" Julius looked at her in confusion."Wha?"  
Befoer he knew what was happening, Alice ripped off her clothes to reveal a pretty blue one-piece. Without a second thought, she jumped, creating a splash that put put small ocean waves to shame.  
Julius's ears drooped.

_ I think the fever is coming back._

* * *

**Huhuu~ The fever will always be there, Julius! And now you get to see Alice in her bathing suit! Hoho~**


End file.
